Part five: on Traal
These are Douglas Adams' original hints for the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Adventure Game. Some questions have multiple answers and some are red herrings, so don't take the presence or absence of a question on a certain topic as an indication of what is important, and don't assume that long answers indicate important questions.
Is it possible to enter the room that lies southwest from the Lair?
Yes.
- Still stuck?
Figuring out how to subdue the Beast would help.
How can I stop the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal from killing me?
The Beast will devour you about five turns after you pop up in its Lair.
- Still stuck?
Leaving the room (East) will buy you some time.
- Still stuck?
Have you read the Guide entry on the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal?
- Still stuck?
You must find a way to prevent yourself from seeing the Beast. The Beast will then decide that since you can't see it, it can't see you!
- Still stuck?
Closing your eyes isn't obvious enough for the Beast to notice.
- Still stuck?
You have to cover your head with something.
- Still stuck?
The towel. "Cover my head with the towel" or "Put the towel over my eyes" or "Wrap the towel around my head" or, well, you get the idea.
- Still stuck?
Unfortunately, you can't move around very well with a towel over your eyes. Furthermore, as you may have already noticed, this method is also only temporarily effective.
Why does the beast ask me to say my name?
A good question. Have you tried figuring out the answer yourself?
- Still stuck?
Have you been in the Beast's Outer Lair?
- Still stuck?
Have you ever tried saying your name as the Beast demands?
- Still stuck?
There are at least a dozen ways to say your name: 'Say my name' or 'Say "Arthur Dent"' or 'Say "my name is Arthur Dent"' or 'Say "I am Arthur Dent"' or 'Tell the beast my name' or 'Tell my name to the beast'. You could also say 'Beast, my name is Arthur Dent' or 'Beast, I'm Arthur Dent'. There are some others but you've probably got the general idea by now.
- Still stuck?
You have to give your correct name to the Beast, or (in a rare moment of Bugblatter Beast perceptivity) it will be able to tell that you're lying. In addition, you can't tell the Beast your name if the Beast thinks it can't see you.
- Still stuck?
The Beast's response when you told it your name should provide an additional hint toward why the Beast wants to know your name and how to solve this entire Traal puzzle.
- Still stuck?
Still stuck? Go on to the next question.
What is the significance of the sandstone memorial?
Have you figured out why the Beast wants to know your name?
- Still stuck?
The Beast wants to carve your name in this, his memorial of remembrance, after he has devoured you.
- Still stuck?
Have you figured out how to stop the Beast from attacking you, at least on a temporary basis?
- Still stuck?
Don't go on until you have figured out how to convince the Beast that it can't see you.
- Still stuck?
There's a way to confuse the Beast...
- Still stuck?
...into thinking that it has already eaten you.
- Still stuck?
You want to carve your name in the memorial, as in "Carve my name on the sandstone memorial".
- Still stuck?
Of course, you'll need something to carve with.
- Still stuck?
It's not any of the tools.
- Still stuck?
It's something found on Traal.
- Still stuck?
Use one of the sharp stones that are lying on the ground.
- Still stuck?
First you have to tell the Beast your name and cover your head with the towel.
- Still stuck?
It is now safe to remove the towel from your head, and to go southwest from the Lair.
Are the tall walls around the courtyard important?
If you could climb them, you might be able to escape the Beast.
- Still stuck?
If you could collapse them onto the Beast, that just might do it in.
- Still stuck?
If you could transmute them into steaming mounds of Qurmeesian Mega-Rhino flank steaks, the Beast might start in on those and ignore your few measly pounds of stringy flesh.
- Still stuck?
Unfortunately, you can't do any of the above.
Are the bleached bones important?
Don't go on until you've found the black paint.
- Still stuck?
Have you tried painting the bones with the paint?
- Still stuck?
Where does the Beast go when he sees the black bones?
- Still stuck?
Black paint? Remember the warning in the introduction! Developing the hints to random questions will spoil the game for you. Stick to just those points where you're stuck.
Are the sharp stones important?
Yes.
- Still stuck?
Have you examined them?
- Still stuck?
See the question about the sandstone memorial.
- Still stuck?
First, you'll have to figure out how to "neutralize" the Beast.
- Still stuck?
Don't go on until the Beast is sleeping.
- Still stuck?
Have you been in the Inner Lair?
- Still stuck?
Go southwest from the Lair.
- Still stuck?
The entire point of this scene is to get that Nutrimat/Computer interface.
- Still stuck?
You have a limited number of moves to get the Interface, after the Beast falls asleep and before the Fronurbdian Beasthunters arrive.